


Unspoken Whispers

by SykoShadowRose



Series: Iron Dragon's Charms 2020 [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alcohol Withdrawal, And Oblivious On Top Of It, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Clover Looses His Temper, Established Lucky Iron, Hypothermia, Iron Dragon's Charms Week 2020, James being Just As Bad, M/M, Not Quite Suicidal But Toeing The Line, Qrow Being A Self-Destructive Idiot, Tai Has Questionable Morals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27953666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SykoShadowRose/pseuds/SykoShadowRose
Summary: James wishes he'd paid better attention when Qrow first showed up in his office. He wishes he'd read the reports like he should have. He wishes for a lot of things. But at least there's still the chance to fix what was done and he can only be grateful to have Clover there beside him for it.
Relationships: Clover Ebi/Taiyang Xiao Long, James Ironwood/Taiyang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood, Qrow Branwen/Taiyang Xiao Long
Series: Iron Dragon's Charms 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2045344
Comments: 12
Kudos: 57





	Unspoken Whispers

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2: Contact/ **Miscommunication**

James sighed heavily as he caught sight of the hunched form in front of his office doors. He was happy to have Qrow around. On a personal level, he was one of his oldest friends and learning he was alive and well had been a huge relief. On a professional level, they desperately needed his skill in the war against Salem and no one knew the moves of her pawns better than Qrow. But that didn’t mean he had the time to deal with the argumentative hunter. He had a meeting with the council to prepare for, the next shipment to Amity needed to be inventoried and approved, he still needed to deal with Jacques Schnee and his blustering, and that wasn’t even taking Robyn and her Huntresses into account for the day. 

So as much as he liked seeing his friend on a personal level, he had too much to do to spend time keeping him occupied just because he was bored and Winter wasn’t around to annoy.

“Qrow.” James kept his greeting short and clipped, hoping against all odds that for once Qrow would take the hint and _behave_. Say whatever he needed to say and then go on about his day. He noticed Qrow jump slightly but brushed it off. He’d been on the road for so long, he was probably just adjusting to being inside again.

“Hey Jimmy.” Qrow stood from the lean he’d been in, one hand rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Can I talk to you for a sec? I promise it won’t take long. I know you got a lot to do…”

James pursed his lips, calculating the time he had to get ready and what all he needed to do, but decided that if Qrow really needed just a few moments he could spare them to see what his friend needed. “Alright. As long as you don’t mind me getting some things ready while we talk. I do have a meeting to be in shortly.”

“Yea, no. That’s fine.” Qrow moved out of the way so James could unlock the office, crossing his arms while he followed behind. James figured he must be cold. He didn’t understand why Qrow would complain about the cold when he didn’t even wear his sleeves all the way down, but he’d learned that arguing such trivial things with Qrow only resulted in a headache. “I…”

Deep blue eyes flicked up from his desk when the hunter seemed to stall out and he held back a frown. He truly _did not_ have the time to waste but he was willing to wait for Qrow to pull his words together. Eventually the silence dragged on too long and James snapped out. “ **Qrow**.”

Slightly unfocused eyes shot up to meet his, hands clenching as Qrow hunched into himself again. James straightened, expecting a fight with how tightly wound Qrow looked to be. “Sorry. I, uh… I was thinking. And you know how Beacon was hacked? Well, I was thinking of taking a fly around, make sure all the sensors are working. That they haven’t been tampered with?” Qrow wasn’t looking at him, wasn’t even facing him. Instead he was facing the wall, staring at some point in the air like he was waiting for the taller man to call him out on something.

James’s brow furrowed, not expecting the words or the uncertainty with which they were spoken. Usually Qrow wouldn’t have bothered asking, he just would have told James what he was doing (if he even did that much) and then gone and done it. The General appreciated that Qrow was actually telling him though he wasn’t sure if he was being told what Qrow was going to do or if he was being asked for his opinion on the matter. “I think it would be good to check on them, I haven’t been able to spare any of my men for it.”

Qrow’s shoulders hitched up higher and James wondered what it was that caused the reaction but before he could try to figure it out his scroll beeped a notification about the meeting. By the time he’d looked up, all that he saw was the tattered tips of the red cape leaving his door. Shaking his head, he went back to work, putting the strange behaviour of Qrow’s out of his mind. The roguish male had always been unpredictable in the worst ways in the past. It was foolish to think that would have changed by now.

~*~

Clover slowed a step as Qrow hurried out of James’s office, dilated eyes drifting over the brunette as if he didn’t even see him. Clover half turned, ready to go after him and make sure he was okay but James was expecting him. He only had to submit a few reports from the previous day and pick up the ones he’d need to fill out for the morning. Then he could follow and check-up on the huntsman. Besides he wanted to make sure James was doing alright this morning as well and he had more than just the reports for the man in his hands. The Captain entered, quietly shutting the door behind him, and walked over to where James was hunched over his desk working with both the terminal and his scroll at the same time. 

Clover held back a sigh, worrying anew at how hard the other was overworking himself. He set the muffin and coffee down on the desk, not really surprised when they went unnoticed by his lover but still disappointed. 

~*~

Clover left the office, feeling more than a little hurt by the way James had shut him out so fully. He knew that there were things about his lover’s job that he couldn’t understand or help with but he still wanted to be able to support the man. Clover turned to take the hall to Qrow’s room, intent on following through with checking to make sure Qrow was fine. He’d looked too pale before, even for him, and Clover was concerned for his health. 

Teal eyes noticed a maintenance closest door that was not properly closed and Clover frowned, walking to it to peek inside. He didn’t know what had made him notice that it wasn’t fully closed or what compelled him to look inside but as he caught sight of the shaking hunter on the floor he was nothing but grateful to whatever force had drawn him. He knelt by Qrow, pressing the bare backs of his fingers to the man’s forehead. Qrow was fevered, flushed and sweating, small twitches going through his body. Clover lifted him up, slipping out of the small closet and making his way swiftly but discreetly to the medical wing. He wanted to get Qrow help but he felt that it would be better if he didn’t cause a panic while doing it. 

Qrow certainly would not appreciate all of his kids being put through that when he recovered from whatever was going on with him. Clover refused to even think that the man wouldn’t recover. He just needed to get him to a doctor that could help him. That was all. Pietro Pollendina was a doctor, he could help, but something kept him from heading that direction, pulling him towards a different hall in the medical ward. The Ace Ops had a personal physician that he could take Qrow to, the man was discreet and wouldn’t spread news of Qrow’s sickness, and since Qrow worked so closely with them he could fall under the man’s purview. But Clover felt that same drive directing him again, rushing him past his doctor’s door and down the hall to a newer, younger healer.

Doctor Heather Byzantine gave him a startled look when he first entered, until she saw that he was holding a patient and her professionalism took over. “Put him on the bed and lock the door.”

Clover did what he was ordered, turning back to see the young woman had already pulled on gloves and was checking Qrow’s vitals as quickly and effectively as she safely could. Unlike Doctor Clay Dijon, Heather’s office was also her exam room until she’d passed her probationary period and had been approved of by the head of the medical division so there was no place for Clover to wait for news but there in the room with her. Now that he was able to stop and think, he wondered what made him bring his suffering friend to what was essentially a novice physician in Atlas Academy. She didn’t look like a novice as she quickly started administering several medicines to get his symptoms under control, pulling an IV out of the corner and cabinet to hook the ailing man upto. Clover tried not to fidget while she worked, not wanting to do anything that might distract her or break her concentration. 

It was only because he was watching so closely, anxiously, that he noticed the small points of pale violet light whenever she touched Qrow. Her aura was active and Clover could only conclude that her semblance had something to do with her profession. Somehow it was helping her care for Qrow and suddenly he understood _why_ he’d brought the scythe wielder to her. As before, he didn’t know if it was his semblance or something greater than him that had guided his movements but he was grateful, thankful, that it had done so. Because Heather was apparently able to treat Qrow more quickly than any other doctor in the facility because of _her_ semblance. Realizing that allowed some of the tension to leave Clover’s frame, causing him to lean back against the wall for support.

Clover took a deep breath, closing his eyes while he calmed down his heart and took the time to sort himself out. His thoughts were buzzing all over the place, part of him still back in the office with his lover. The one who barely had time to say hello to him nowadays. The one that was slowly working himself to death and got angry when anyone tried to stop him or help him. That part of him ached, throbbed, _burned_ and he wasn’t sure how to make it stop. He focused on the part of him that had been trapped in the closet with a collapsed friend, the parts of him that were at ease and open in the back of trucks, the piece of him that was bound to the here and now, with Qrow’s breath slowly starting to even out. His heart rate beginning to drop to safe levels.

Heather’s frantic work pace decreased with it, seeming to slow as she dealt with each problem until Qrow was at rest on the bed. Clover had no idea how long he’d stood there waiting while the young woman worked frantically over the man he had been getting closer to over the last few weeks. He’d noticed a steady decline in the man. Picked up the signs and the clues from Qrow’s words to understand that he was probably going through withdrawal. But he’d looked it up and believed that Qrow had long since passed the timeline for the most dangerous symptoms to affect him. It was why he hadn’t brought the topic up with anyone and had merely watched, taking his ques for which mission to assign them based on how Qrow acted when he was in the briefing room. 

So what had happened to make the man drop so hard that he only had time to hide in a closet? And _why_ had Qrow hidden instead of calling for help?

Teal eyes opened when he heard the work stop, when the sound of someone dropping into a chair registered to his ears. He looked over at the young doctor, realizing that in some ways she reminded him of the Schnees. Her hair was the same color, though her eyes were a deep purple color instead. She had a loose braid draped over her left shoulder and either her bangs were so long that they were braided into her hair or she had no bangs at all. He couldn’t really tell the difference and in the end he decided it didn’t matter. Her eyes were still on her patient as she played with the end of her braid, likely going over what further treatment he was going to require to recover, and Clover waited for her to turn to him, anxiousness raking at his sanity.

Finally those royal eyes turned to him and for a brief moment he could _see_ the war in her eyes. Whether to keep the health of her patient confidential until given permission or allow the one who’d brought him here, the one officially listed in Atlas records as his temporary mission partner, to know what was happening. There were protocols for such things. By Atlas Laws she was free to tell Clover what was ailing Qrow because of his status since Qrow’s health could directly influence Clover’s on a mission, and he saw the decision when it was made. The way her shoulders dropped just a touch, her eyes lowering just a bit.

“I can get a lot about a person's condition from my semblance. And I can fill in a lot of blanks with what I learn.” She slumped back in her chair, still not quite meeting his eyes. “He was a drinker. A heavy one. And he quit not too long ago.”

Clover frowned when she stopped, wondering where she was going with this. “I got that much from talking with him. But he should have been past the worst of his withdrawal.” Clover _knew_ he’d read that information right when he looked it up. So why was he suddenly doubting it? 

“Typically, yes.” Heather sighed heavily, lifting one hand to rub her temple. “Your partner is not a typical case though. Aura and semblances can change and grow with a person. His aura has changed and grown to help cope with the alcohol. It’s fought off the internal damage and when he runs out, it fights off the worst symptoms. But it’s a _constant_ drain. There’s no time for him to ever fully recharge and it’s been a losing battle. His aura finally couldn’t keep up with it. And when it shattered, he went down under all of it. Everything that should have happened in the first few days of him quitting is hitting hard now.”

He hadn’t been wrong then. It was Qrow that was the variable he’d missed. He’d know better in the future. Clover looked away from Qrow’s prone form to see the doctor pulling up pages on her terminal, and soon after his scroll beeped. 

“I’ve sent you some care details for when I release him, but it will take some time before he’s in the clear. If you have someone he trusts to help, that would probably put less stress on everyone. For now, I’m going to continue monitoring him.”

“Thank you doctor. I’ll see to what needs to be done for him to be off until you get him back on his feet.” Clover gave the tired female a small smile, throwing one last lingering look at his partner, his friend before leaving the room. He went to his office to fill out the forms he needed that marked Qrow as unavailable for missions and then pulled up the reports he needed to fill out for the morning. He’d spent longer than he realized waiting for the healer to finish with Qrow, there was less time than he liked to fill everything out. He did things quickly, but all the while his mind was on what the doctor told him.

Who could he call that Qrow would trust? How could he call that Qrow would _listen to_?

The answer, when it came to him, left him uncertain. He knew exactly who he needed with the same certainty he'd had when he’d opened the closet, when he’d gone to Heather instead of Clay or Pietro. But to do so, he’d need James’s permission. Praying that the General, that his lover, would care enough about his friend to grant his blessing to the ship, Clover pulled up the forms he needed and drafted a message to Taiyang Xiao Long to fill him in on what was going on. He had no doubt that the man would come to Atlas for his daughters and (hopefully) Qrow. Still, he wanted the man to be fully aware of what he was walking into when he got here.

~*~

When Tai came off the airship, he expected to meet this Clover guy so he could ask some questions. Instead he had been led to an office where the man he assumed was Clover was working on his scroll while he paced behind the desk. The blond raised both brows curiously. “I miss something?”

The brunette jerked to a stop, head whipping around to stare at Tai with the most beautiful teal eyes he’d ever seen. Then realization registered and those eyes darkened in agitation. “Yea. You could say that.” He tucked he scroll away, crossing his arms and trying not to let his anger show too much. “Qrow slipped out of his room and ran off when he woke up.”

Tai swore harshly, lifting both hands to run over his face. He didn’t know why he’d thought Qrow would still be in a medical bed when he got here. He’d learned years ago that the shifter was up and moving, back to his job usually, as soon as he was healed enough to walk on his own. And even that much was debatable sometimes. Dropping his hands to his sides he looked the other over, seeing the tiredness that came from worry. He was more than a little familiar with that brand of tiredness. “And you have no idea where he is. Or you would have hauled his ass back to his room.”

“Got it in one.” The two shared a strained smile before Clover motioned to the door. “Come on. We’ll get you settled in while we wait for word about Qrow.”

~*~

The two of them had gotten Tai settled in the room right next to Qrow and stocked it with a few things the blond may need before the blond had commented that he was a bit stiff from being trapped on the airship and asked to go for a walk. Clover had decided to take the other from a circuit around the grounds so that Tai could get a feel for things. He knew that Tai had probably been in Atlas before but he didn’t know how long it had been or what had changed since his last visit so he figured it was better this way. They traded some stories and Clover got to learn some interesting things about his mission partner. Neither of them really registered that they were walking close enough that their arms brushed, close enough for their shoulders to bump. In fact neither of them really paid much attention to what was going on around them until a rough caw made them both look up.

They were able to see ice crystals on the birds feathers before the shift happened and Qrow, light-footed and graceful, stumbled to the ground to hit his knees in front of them. Soft red eyes blinked up at them as if Qrow wasn’t sure what he was seeing was actually real. The moment stretched, thin and fragile, as the fallen hunter tried to comprehend the fact that his friend was here in Atlas. While Tai looked at his former school partner with the too pale skin, the too prominent bones under that skin. It was Clover that moved first, that broke them out of their standstill. He pulled out his scroll calling Heather to inform her that her patient had returned and was suffering from hypothermia alongside the withdrawal. That’s when Tai saw it. 

Saw the blue lips, the white fingertips, the complete lack of shivering and the shallow breath that wasn’t warm enough to leave a cloud in the air. 

The blond bent down, snatching the former tribesman into his arms and turning to follow Clover when he was tugged along to where he hoped Qrow would be treated. There was a very cross looking young woman waiting outside one of the doors when they reached the medical ward. The room they were ushered into was considerably warmer than the rest of the building and Tai hurried to set Qrow on the bed. The young doctor stepped over after the door was locked and closed the curtain to give Qrow some privacy while she worked. Clover and Tai took a seat in the two chairs in front of her work desk, waiting as patiently as they could while Heather once again worked to stabilize Qrow.

Clover pulled up a report to fill out to excuse Qrow from any further mission until he’d been cleared, submitting it to James as soon as he was finished. It took time, longer then he probably realized, to get Qrow back up to safety. There was a small quiet debate with Heather as to whether it would be safe for Tai to take Qrow back to his room to sleep. Eventually she relented, on the condition that he keep her informed of any changes, on the basis that Tai had more experience dealing with Qrow and because she only had the one bed to work with and she needed it in case one of her other patients came in.

~*~

Qrow stayed curled in the blankets, Tai’s deep, even breaths a comfort to him, and pulled out his scroll. He hadn’t had the chance to tell Jimmy what he’d found out in Solatis and since he wasn’t going anywhere for at least the rest of the night, he may as well fill the man in. He was probably still working anyways, unless Clover had managed to drag him out of his office. The mental image of James being dragged through the halls, tangled in Kingfisher’s line made him pause and smile before he shook it out of his head. Clover probably had more subtle ways of getting James to take a break. Ways that Qrow resolutely blocked out of his mind, even as a faint flush worked it’s way onto his cheeks.

It was wrong to think of either of the men like that. Just like it was wrong to think of Tai like that. Qrow was a lot of things (former bandit, former tribesman, spy, huntsman, uncle, brother, drunkard, former alcoholic and those were some of the nicer ones) but he was not, had never been, and would never be a homewrecker. Besides. Tai had never shown any interest in him so there was no point in thinking of things he couldn’t have. It was better if he didn’t get too deeply involved anyways. Not with his semblance. It was too dangerous. Things were bad enough as they were now, with him having friends that were far too close for comfort.

Lightly shaking his head to clear the forbidden thoughts, Qrow finished what he was typing and sent it off. The lithe hunter settled down to sleep, knowing that if he didn’t his friend would be all over his ass in the worst ways. He really didn’t feel like dealing with that in the morning, so he’d do his best to sleep and pray he didn’t have any nightmares. Hopefully he’d be able to eat whatever Tai decided to cook so that he could do what he still needed to finish.

~*~

James looked over the report, making note of the details he needed and approved the request at the bottom with his signature. Clover had been by earlier to ask him if he was coming home to have dinner but he’d sadly had to turn his lover away. He would have liked to have gone home and spent the rest of the evening with the younger man. It had been far too long since they’d had time off together. But he couldn’t. There was too much to do and more things kept coming up that he needed to take care of. Maybe once Amity was launched, they could take a few days before he made the announcement but that still wouldn’t be for a while. Still, it was a personal goal he could set. Something he could offer to his lover in the few rare moments they got to see each other alone.

~*~

Tai grit his teeth as he ran through Mantle’s streets, seeking out Qrow, _who should not be here_ , so that he could haul the stubborn man’s ass back to Atlas where he was _supposed_ to be recovering. Clover’s voice was in his ear, guiding his movements from a high point where he could access more of the drones to locate Qrow better. There was a note of urgency in the Captain’s voice, suppressed panic, that dug under Tai’s skin and into his veins, speeding his movements and driving him to reach Qrow as quickly as he could. He heard the crazed laugh before he saw them, sliding around a corner so fast that he slammed into the wall. 

He didn’t know who the scorpion faunus that was currently caught in the deadly dance with Qrow was but he didn’t care to learn either. Not when he was attacking one of the people Tai loved. 

Blue eyes watched as Qrow baited the man closer, letting Harbinger be knocked wide to get the faunus close to him. He shifted it to tonfa form and lashed out. Tai watched with the same horror and fascination one always watched when disaster was coming and there was no power on Remnant to stop it. Qrow’s strike shattered the purple aura but he saw it as a white spot appeared in Qrow’s red aura, the tail curling around to pierce through the hole. The two were split apart by the force of the blows and the blond watched Qrow’s hand grip his leg where he’d been hit, the red eyes not seeming surprised at all when he tumbled over. The scorpion rebounded off of a crate, preparing to attack again despite his lack of aura and Tai lunged, refusing to stand back and do nothing while Qrow was down. 

He felt it as the hit landed, shattering the nose he collided with and sending the slender man flying back into the wall behind him. There was a loud crack and Tai wondered vindictively if he’d managed to split the bastard’s skull. He turned to Qrow, putting the downed enemy out of his mind save for reporting to Clover that they would need a prisoner transport to deal with him. Before long, he found himself once again sitting with the brunette in an uncomfortable chair in the medical ward while Heather worked over Qrow’s ailing form on the other side of the curtain. He had the idle thought that he should get her a gift basket of some kind, surely her other patients weren’t so difficult to treat or needed such extensive care over such a short time, but the thought drifted away almost as quickly as it came. 

~*~

Clover looked down at the mission assignment with a deepening frown. This was something he needed to talk to James about, quickly, so he made his way to the man’s office. Giving Winter a nod as they passed each other in the door, he turned and locked it after a short glance revealed only James left in the room. He stormed up to the desk, holding back on his temper until James had the chance to explain himself. 

“Why is Qrow assigned with me to a mission to guard supplies and clear the surrounding tunnels?”

James glanced up from his work, confused as to why he was being asked such a question. Clover was not in the habit of questioning orders and a simple one like this shouldn’t have any cause to raise questions. He sat back to focus on his lover, ignoring the work that piled higher with each minute, and took in the details he needed to know. The tension in his shoulders, the clenched jaw, the paled knuckles on his fists. Clover was on edge, _angry_ , and James had no idea why. “He’s your mission partner, why wouldn’t he be with you on a mission?”

It was apparently the wrong thing to say because the beautiful teal eyes he loved darkened and narrowed on him. “ _He’s **sick** James!_” The words were all but hurled at him in a low growl, sending him rocking back by the force of the anger hidden in such a short message. “Have you been reading _any_ of the medical reports I’ve been sending you?”

James blinked, shooting a quick look to the screen where the medical reports were waiting. A few were flagged red but he hadn’t gotten to them, not when his staff were better able to handle the matters. He’d given all of his focus to Amity, to Atlas, even to Mantle. “I…”

“You _haven’t_!” Clover’s voice was harsh, accusatory. And really James had no way to defend himself, not from this. Because it was the truth. “Did you even pay attention to the form I sent? The one that you signed to give permission to bring Tai here to help look after him?”

“Taiyang is here?” He vaguely recalled Clover submitting a form for the use of an airship to make a trip outside the borders but he hadn’t had much time to read through the whole thing. He’d simply trusted that Clover wouldn’t ask for something so big without a good reason. He’d been right but he should have read it. Then this wouldn’t be a problem now. He braced himself for the storm that was coming, knowing well Clover’s temper only stayed calm so long.

“ _For fucks sake James!_ ” Clover whirled around lifting both hands to tug at his hair in frustration. “I _thought_ that you had approved it because you cared about Qrow. That you wanted to help him as much as he’s been trying to help you! And this whole fucking time you never even _knew_ what he’s been doing for you! For Atlas and Remnant!” The younger man marched back up to the desk, leaning over it to meet James’s eyes. “You. You need to get your ass out of this office and _go check on the man you call friend_ before you lose him.” Clover waited a beat before snarling. “ ** _Now!_** ”

James shut down everything and quietly got up to leave the office. Clover would ensure it was locked after he’d calmed down enough to leave the room. Hopefully Taiyang would wait until after he’d seen Qrow to unleash his own temper on him. James wouldn’t fight it, not when it was becoming glaringly obvious that he deserved their wrath.

~*~

Qrow looked up when he heard someone enter his bedroom, surprised to see James standing uncomfortably just inside the door. He offered a weak smile, waving his friend in by patting the empty space on the bed. He was actually curious when James took the offered seat. He’d expected the man to stand awkwardly next to the bed and loom over him. “Did you get the report of the sensors?”

James jolted, broken from his observations of how Qrow sallow looked by the gently rasped question. “Yes. Thank you for not only checking them but adding what protection you could to them. It’s… relieving to know that there is an extra layer of protection.”

Qrow’s smile was thin and weak, as fragile as his body had become. Bones too sharp through the fragile skin and deep shadows under his eyes from his lack of sleep. There was an unnerving rattle to Qrow’s breath, barely there but discernible when there was no other sound in the room. James heard him swallow, neck tensing as if he were struggling with something so simple and he reached for the glass on the bedside table, holding it out as the shaking hands lifted to guide the straw to the too pale lips. He’d read the medical reports on his way to see Qrow, knew the things he’d been through in too short a time with no time to heal between. A wave of guilt crested over him, the responsibility of allowing Qrow to go scouting, to play bait, weighing on his shoulders. 

With aching clarity, he recalled the morning Qrow had come to his office, the same date that was on the first medical report. Hindsight granted him the sight of how pale the other was, the shaking and tension, the unfocused attention, the way Qrow had seemed unsure of what to say. It hit him that Qrow had been going through withdrawal right in front of him and he hadn’t even seen it. There was a certain amount of shame to be taken when one realized just how much they’d failed a friend and James accepted it. Still, he felt compelled to question some things. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were sick? Why ask to go check the sensors, to hunt the enemy, if you knew you were unwell?”

“I…” Pale red eyes darted away, uncertain in his vulnerability. “I was going to. I’d been waiting for you because I knew I was getting bad. Bad enough that I’d probably need help but… You were already so busy…” Thin hands clutched at the blankets, trembling. “I didn’t want to be another burden you had to bear Jimmy. So. I thought maybe I could take some of the weight off of you.”

James felt his chest ache, leaned forward to embrace the smaller man again so that he could know once more that he was alive, if not well. He could get better. Atlas would take care of him and so would James now that he knew. “You could have died Qrow…”

A brittle laugh was muffled against his shoulder, voice verging on tears. “Nah. I’m not that lucky.” He pulled back, confused by the words, to look Qrow in the eyes. “My semblance would never give me the peace of death when living ruins the lives of everyone around me.”

For a few heartbeats, James didn’t understand the words. He heard them but he couldn’t comprehend them. As if Qrow were speaking a lost language or one spoken in the small tribes. When reality broke through his confusion, the shards tore through his heart to leave it aching and bleeding. He’d known that Qrow struggled with his self worth. Known that the huntsman drank as a way to self medicate. He had not known that it ran this deep. James swallowed down the pain, eyes burning as he pulled Qrow in again to tuck his head against his collar bone. “I can think of at least ten people besides myself who would disagree with that statement.” 

“Eight of them don’t count for sure. The kids don’t know any better.” 

“They wouldn’t agree with that.”

“Because they don’t know better.”

“And what about Clover? Tai? Me?” James moved so he could tip Qrow’s head back, looking down into the face that looked far too close to death. “We don’t want to lose you Qrow.” 

Haven’t we lost enough?

The unspoken question rested in the air between them, heavy and suffocating. Qrow didn’t have anything to say to that. Knew how stubborn James could be. Changing his mind was nearly impossible and Qrow was not ready for that kind of fight. Not when he could barely keep his eyes open. Not when it took so much effort just to breathe. He didn’t have the strength for it. He dropped his head to James’s shoulder, not caring that it was the metal one. He was just too tired to bother keeping his head up anymore. He felt James run his fingers through his hair and relaxed into the feeling, slowly drifting into a sleep he knew would be broken by nightmares.

James carefully lay Qrow back down, tucking him in so that he wouldn’t get cold. He stood by the bed, looking down at the friend he could have so easily lost, so easily _killed_ with his negligence. He’d been so focused on the big picture that he’d begun to lose sight of the small details that _mattered_. Clover had tried to tell him, so had some of the kids Qrow brought with him. Even Winter had tried to say something in her own way, never outright speaking against him or questioning his orders but asking for clarification she didn’t need as a means to try to get him to think things over again. It hadn’t stopped him. None of it had. And were it not for one of his closest and oldest friends lying sick in bed, it was possible he would have continued on his path.

He went out to the living room, head hung in shame while he went to face the two men who knew his transgression better than he did. After all, they were the ones left cleaning up after his mistakes. 

~*~

Tai turned away from the stove when he heard footsteps approaching. There was only one other person in the apartment capable of walking that surely and the brawler had a few things he’d been biting back that he needed to say. James stood with his head low, waiting patiently for Tai to lash out at him. For just a brief moment, bare seconds, Tai considered skipping the words. His hand curled into a fist, recalling what it’d felt like to shatter the faunus’s nose. Wondered if breaking James’s would feel as satisfying. For one heartbeat, he nearly swung out at the man. There was only one thing that stayed his hand. On reason he didn’t throw the punch he longed to. 

Qrow.

The same reason he wanted to hurt James was the same reason he held back. Qrow had put himself through hell to help James and if Tai hurt the Atlesian then not only would Qrow’s work, as unnoticed as it been, be undone but he knew Qrow would find some way to take responsibility for it. He would blame himself for James’s injuries even if it was Tai’s temper and James’s negligence that were the true cause. Tai didn’t want to give Qrow any more reason to hate himself. Not when the man already had a list longer than he was tall of (mostly bullshit to Tai) reasons he thought he shouldn’t be around people. Especially people he loved and cared for. 

So Tai closed his eyes and counted, focused on his breathing and the tension of his muscles until he was calm enough to stick to his voice only. When he opened his eyes again, James was still waiting. “How exactly do you miss him being on the verge of collapsing in your office Jim? He crawled into a _fucking closet to die_ down the hall from you so that none of the kids were at risk of finding his body!”

James’s whole body flinched at the reminder of just how badly he’d fucked up. When he’d first partnered Qrow with Clover, he’d done it half so they would balance each other semblance wise and half because he’d hoped his lover could get along with one of his closest friends. Now he could only be grateful that Clover had become so close to Qrow that he’d saved his life, three times now, while James had remained oblivious to Qrow’s struggles. “I have no excuse. I noticed the signs but I brushed them off as him adjusting to being in Atlas. And he suffered for it. He…” James clenched his eyes shut, remembering again how Qrow had been waiting for him. “He was going to ask for help that morning but… I was dismissive of him so he changed his mind… All the people in Atlas and…” And it was _James and only James_ that Qrow had gone to for help. And James had turned his back on him. 

Tai watched, anger still simmering but his heart aching at the scene in front of him, as James all but crumbled against the counter. He wanted to hate the man for nearly getting Qrow killed. For not being there to save him when he’d needed him most. But he couldn’t. Because as James slid down to the floor, all Tai could see was the tortured expression on James’s face. He could practically feel the weight James carried like a physical presence in the room and he understood, far better than he wanted to admit, just why Qrow had chosen the path he’d taken. Why he’d risked himself to help James so much despite how little James had noticed him. Sighing, the blond knelt down, throwing one arm over his shoulders to force the other to stand and relocate to the couch in the living room. 

Tai went back to the stove, waiting for the kettle to whistle before he poured them both a cup of tea. The blend was supposed to be calming and he hoped it worked because they both desperately needed it. His lips pursed when a wet, hollow cough echoed out of the bedroom. Qrow was doing a good job of trying to seem fine but his breathing was getting worse, even if the medicine they made him take was helping keep the symptoms under control. James cringed, his torment visible as he listened to Qrow’s fight for breath in the other room. Tai stood, placing a hand on his shoulder as he passed, to force more of the syrup down Qrow’s throat so he could rest properly. He felt the other slump slightly, as if he were denying the small comfort and frowned as he walked away. 

~*~

Clover paused as he passed on his way to the kitchen, tipping a head at James on his side, asleep on the couch. His jacket had been removed and a blanket had been thrown over him with a pillow under his head. Clover briefly gave the ankles hanging over the edge a fond squeeze before he resumed his course, finding Tai leaning against the counter on his scroll. He strolled over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of juice before he joined Tai against the counter. 

“How did you get him to sleep?” Clover was curious about that part. James wasn’t one to fall asleep just anywhere and he was still in uniform even if his jacket and boots were off.

“Slipped him some of Qrow’s sedatives…”

Clover froze in the act of lifting the bottle, turning to stare at the unrepentant blond with incredulous eyes. It took a moment for Tai to realize Clover hadn’t moved, turning to him curiously. “What?”

“You slipped him sedatives!?”

“Well, yea. He’s exhausted and he wasn’t going to go to bed willingly so…” Tai shrugged, as if knocking the man out was the most obvious solution. It made Clover wonder just how many times he’d pulled that move on Qrow and if the lithe hunter knew to be wary around the brawler. Clover knew now at least, though he couldn’t imagine a situation where he wouldn’t rest if he needed it. Not unless things were dire and in that case, it was likely Tai would be the same as him. 

“Right…” Since there was no point arguing in what was done, the brunette drank his juice and let the matter drop. 

“So, I’ve been messaging Heather about what foods would be best for Qrow while he’s recovering. And I told her about James so she’s been telling me what kind of things would be best for him to eat. At least, she’s doing her best to guess what would be best for him. She also told me what dose of sedatives would be safe for a man his size and what kind would be most efficient in case we need to get some more for the future.”

Clover lifted his empty hand to rub his temple, grateful for the nutritional information but not sure how he felt about the doctor encouraging Tai’s less ethical use of the medicine. However, it was for James’s own good and as long as they didn’t get into the habit of drugging him, then maybe every now and then when he desperately needed rest would be okay… “So, we have a shopping list of ingredients we need for both of them then.”

“Yea. And I’ve been looking up recipes as well. We can make plans for what to cook on what days, see who will be there to do the cooking. All that kind of stuff.”

Clover sighed, tipping over so he was leaning on Tai, shoulder to shoulder. “Thank you… I don’t know what I would have done if I’d had to do all of this on my own…”

Tai shifted, throwing his arm around the younger man’s shoulders. “Lucky you, you never have to figure it out. Cause I’m right here to help and I’m not going anywhere.” Clover couldn’t help returning the bright smile, laughing a little at the older man. It was nice to have him around, and he flushed a little as he hoped Tai meant it when he said he was sticking around.

~*~

James woke to a loud clatter, jolting upright as things came to a shocking silence. It took his sleep disoriented mind a few moments to realize he was still at Tai’s, that he’d fallen asleep on the couch, and he pushed to his feet to look for the source of the calamity. He found Qrow on the ground, struggling to sit upright against the bathroom counter with a number of things that had likely been _on_ the counter scatter across the floor around him. The wet rattle of his breathing was more audible, more pronounced now, and James ached to hear it. He bent down, reaching out to help Qrow sit up and steadying him until blurry, soft red eyes opened to look back at him. 

“Which direction were you going?” 

“Bed.” James didn’t know if Qrow’s usual rasp was so rough because of his illness or because he’d just woken up, but he knew which was more likely and it hurt him in a way he didn’t know how to fix. Still, he decided he’d done enough to hurt his friend and not enough to help him, so he lifted the (far, far too light) hunter up into his arms and carried him back to the bed to put him under the covers. Qrow started to settle in but another cough took over, the sound seeming to come from deep in his chest, hard enough to shake his whole body. James worried that Qrow wouldn’t be able to breathe in with how much he was coughing but finally it passed, the other desperately taking in the air he’d been deprived of by his own lungs. He rubbed at Qrow’s back, wishing he could do more, when he saw the bottle on the nightstand by a glass of water. He quickly read the instructions and poured the amount, holding the tiny cup out to Qrow.

Qrow stared at the medicine with a horrified look that James sympathized with. He knew the syrup probably tasted awful but Qrow needed it and they both knew it. Red as soft petals flicked up to him, thinking, considering, before those slender (boney) shoulders dropped a bit and he reached out to take the little cup. James passed him the cup or water immediately after for him to wash it down with as he gagged and helped Qrow to lay back in the bed when he was finished, making sure he was properly covered. He stood and turned to refill the water, pulling up short to see both Tai and Clover watching him. He felt a faint heat on his cheeks as he walked past them, both moving so he could complete his task and when he returned to the kitchen after placing the glass back in the room, both were waiting for him.

“You know,” Tai started putting away the various items from the shopping bags with Clover, “I’ve been giving him that stuff since I got here and he _always_ puts up a fight about it.”

“Always?” James wasn’t sure what to make of the revelation, wasn’t sure what Tai was trying to say with his mind still locked on how sick Qrow was. How it was his fault for not paying enough attention in the first place. If he’d just taken a few minutes to _actually look_ at Qrow that morning he would have seen the signs. Could have gotten him the help he needed. He could have prevented Qrow from going out on missions until he was stable. Until the worst of the withdrawal had passed.

“Yea, always.”

“It’s because it’s James.” Clover turned away from tucking the broth away for later use to find two different sets of blue looking at him with unspoke questions. “Qrow only went on those missions to help James because he wanted to make things easier on him right? Arguing with James over the medicine would have stressed James out, which is the opposite of what he wants. So, he took the medicine from James without a fight because it wouldn’t stress James to do so.”

“Ah, yea. That makes sense.” Tai’s voice sounded distant to James’s ears, mostly because his mind was calling up every little thing Qrow had done since he got to Atlas to try to make things easier for him. 

The most obvious of which should have been his lack of starting fights with Winter, or any other member of the Atlesian military. His insults had been cut down as well, to help avoid those fights. He’d gone out to not only check the sensors but added another layer of security to protect them. Then he went tracked down the man that had been murdering anyone speaking against him publicly by using himself as bait for the murderer. Clover’s voice called him back from his traveling thoughts. 

“Well, this means only one thing then…”

“James is on medicine duty from now on?” Tai threw him a wickedly curved grin that Clover shared before looking to him. 

“Absolutely.” He was gently guided by his lover back out to the living room. “I’ll message you when it’s time for Qrow to take his medicine. You may as well plan on taking a bit more time to eat with us when you come. I’ll let Winter know so she can plan things accordingly. She had most of the morning handled but there are a few tasks that she needs you to get done…”

James felt a wave of surprise wash over him when he realized it was after noon already and he quickly put on his boots and picked up his jacket, digging into the pocket to pull out his scroll while heading to the door. He shot Winter a quick message giving an estimated time for him to get into his office, taking into account how long he’d need to get to his place, freshen up and change uniforms. He got a reply faster than he expected, his lieutenant assuring him that she had things under control and that he could take the time he needed. He appreciated her hard work but he still felt guilty for putting his burden on her young shoulders. He would move as quickly as he could and when Clover messaged him, he would go to make sure Qrow took the medicines he needed to get well again. He would not ignore or neglect his friend any longer, even if it meant he’d have to find new ways to complete his own work.

~*~

Winter was waiting for James when he came up to the door, scroll out and ready. She’d gone through all the paperwork she could access and delegated what she could to the appropriate departments, leaving the things she could handle to herself and letting the things that were above her remain on James’s desk. Clover had taken some of the work as well, doing what he could from his scroll and scheduling office time for the things he couldn’t, just as she had. She hoped James did the same thing so that he could spend less time trapped behind his desk but only time would tell what happened from here now that Clover and Tai were basically calling the shots when it came to James and Qrow’s health.

She wondered if James realized what the two men were doing or if he was so focused on helping Qrow and trying to still do his job that he completely missed the way the two were maneuvering him. Not that she was going to point it out to him. James had taken her under his wing, protected her from her father as much as he could. Watching the man work himself into a grave had been distressing and she wasn’t going to stop them from taking care of him. Not when he needed it so desperately. Even as she watched him circle around behind the desk, she could see how much better he looked. The shadows under his eyes were less and the furrow in his brow was nearly gone. He still looked like he was carrying the weight of the world but he no longer looked like he was being crushed by it.

James was actually surprised to see how little there was left for him to handle when he opened up his terminal. By the time he received the message from Clover that he was needed, he had cleared all of his paperwork and gone over most of the papers submitted by the department heads that had done their delegated tasks. It occurred to him, as he shut down and locked his office, that perhaps he should have assigned more work to his departments earlier. They had been hired for a reason, they were competent and knew what they were doing. He was only hurting himself and holding back progress by refusing to utilize their skillsets, wasn’t he?

By the time he had entered Tai’s temporary home, James had resolved to start assigning more work to those who could do it. 

Tai was preparing food for them in the kitchen with Clover and they had moved Qrow to the living room in a large round chair, bundled up in blankets and propped up on pillows. James settled onto the couch nearby, taking in the fever flushed cheeks as Qrow cracked open his eyes and offered a small, wane smile. He smiled back feeling a bit like he was doing something forbidden when he brushed Qrow’s bangs back, the smaller man arching into the touch just enough for him to notice the movement. He resisted the urge to train his hand down Qrow’s cheek to his jaw, to let his fingers run down the slender neck. Instead he pulled back, ignoring the flicker of disappointment in the red eyes, to pour out the medicine he was there to give Qrow. 

The shifter took the medicine sullenly, making a face afterwards just in case James wasn’t aware of how he felt about the medicine or how bad it tasted. He felt his lips twitch at the rather cute way Qrow’s nose crinkled but successfully held back his smile as they were joined by the other two men and each of them were given something different to eat. He arched a brow, would have questioned it, but he said nothing as they started eating with Clover feeding Qrow. He didn’t know how long they had been doing this but Qrow seemed resigned to it all. To James he felt they were taking care of Qrow but he was willing to bet the independent man felt like he was being treated like an invalid. Maybe at some point later he could try to talk to Qrow to convince him that they were doing it because they lo- because they cared about him, not because they thought less of him…

~*~

Qrow sighed as Clover insisted on feeding him _again_. His hands had stopped shaking two days ago so really, he felt like he should be allowed to feed himself. The coughing fits he still had started with a tightness in his chest which meant he’d have time to set his food aside if one came on while he was eating, but he’d been ignored when he tried to protest and Tai had given him _the look_ when he’d tried to fight. And then James had walked in and heard them, a crease forming between his brows. Qrow had shut up and let Clover do what he wanted, even if he was quietly plotting ways to get back at the younger man as soon as he was allowed to get up. 

At least, that was the plan.

But it was when night fell that he suddenly realized something. He had protested being carried back and forth from the living room to the bedroom before. So they had pulled the mattress to the living room floor for him and added another one so it was twice as wide. Over the course of the week since it had been put down, he’d slowly started building a nest out of pillows and blankets that they brought him. What hit him hardest was that he’d somehow pulled all three into his nest with him without even realizing it. Not until he woke up before the others early one morning to find James holding him with Tai holding Clover in front of them. 

He’d tried to crawl out of the pile to get something to drink (juice, he wanted juice, Tai and Clover insisted on him drinking water _all the time_ ) but getting free of the _iron hold_ around his waist (and now he had something new to tease Jimmy with) required waking the man. Which he really didn’t want to do. But he also _really_ wanted some juice before the other two woke up and forced more water on him. Eventually he decided to try slipping out without waking James.

He should have known that would never work.

And of course, because it was him, James had to wake up in the most awkward way at the worst time. He didn’t know what exactly prompted the older man to pull him closer but he did know that it put his bum right in James face, which is naturally when cobalt eyes blinked open. Honestly, if he hadn’t needed both his hands to keep his balance so he didn’t fall on the other two men, he would have covered his face. He _knew_ he had to be as red as his cape when those eyes registered what James was staring at and traveled up the length of him to peer questioningly at his face. His shoulder slumped in defeat, his breath leaving on a heavy sigh, but at least James was amused. A small smile curved his lips and Qrow could feel the shaking of withheld laughter. 

James sat up carefully so Qrow didn’t tumble over and helped him into the kitchen, lifting him up to sit on the counter while he poured the juice Qrow was craving. A pit opened in Qrow’s stomach when James turned to him with the most solemn look he’d ever seen on the serious man’s face. Whatever was coming, he knew it wasn’t going to be good and he tried to brace himself. 

“Qrow…” James kept his voice quiet, staying conscious of the two still slumbering men in the living room. “When you are physically well again,” the lithe man noted the specification and held back a grimace, “we need to talk about some of the things you said. About how you hid when you were dying instead of seeking help.” 

Qrow looked away, his words about not being lucky enough to die echoing in his mind. He never would have been so loose with his tongue before, no matter how many times he’d had that thought, but the fever had made him less guarded. He didn’t want to talk about it, not to anyone. Didn’t want to admit how many times he’d thought himself unlucky to have come out of a tight spot alive. But he knew he needed to. For his own health as well as for those around him. He’d drag them down if he didn’t. Or at the very least he’d call every grimm in the area to him which would put everyone around him in danger. A hand fell over his and he followed it up the strong arm over the broad shoulder to see those cobalt blues watching him with concern. 

“I know it won’t be easy, but… I promise, we’ll be there to help you through it.”

Qrow looked back at James, thought of the two still sleeping and every little thing the three of them had done to take care of him while he was sick, and he allowed himself to hope that maybe the four of them could make it if they were looking out for each other. Taking in a deep breath he knew what the first thing he needed to do was. “I hid because I didn’t want anyone I loved to find me first.”

James sighed in relief, understanding the words for the acceptance that they were. Tai had already figured out the reason, mostly, so it wasn’t news to James, but he still smiled and embraced the still too thin hunter. There was hope for the both of them, for the four of them, and for all of the future.

**Author's Note:**

> I have this weird idea that when James finds out he was drugged to sleep by Tai and gets upset Tai just shrugs and asks if he would have preferred him to deck him.


End file.
